Many of the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends were just extensions of other fashion trends that we saw on the runways, when it came to both materials and prints, as well as when it came to themes like wanderlust or nostalgia. Some spring 2019 handbag trends were carried over from previous years, like all of the oversized bags, straw bags, ball-shaped bags, and more. Others were different themes on old trends, like the trunks and duffels that we saw.

We are super excited to see which of the spring/ summer 2019 handbags are going to really win over the women on the streets, and become staples!

#1. Classy Snap Clasp Bags

To my mind, a little coin purse with a snap clasp usually brings to mind memories of my grandmother, and the anticipation I felt as she was about to open up her purse and hand off a candy or a few coins to me and my cousins. Snap clasps will always have that old timey nostalgia. For the spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends we saw these clasps show up on both tiny coin purses and small-medium sized bags.

The effect was perfectly embodied on the elegant Elie Saab runway with a little coin purse in red covered in a golden design, with a golden snap clasp and chain. Simone Rocha countered a very light colored collection with a tiny, black coin purse embellished with black fur and held with a small strap.

On Maryam Nassir Zadeh’s runway we saw a snap clasp on a small, white, cross shoulder bag decorated with a fun tassel. Victoria Beckham, ever classy, used a sleeker version of the snap clasp on a white leather bag.

#2. Tinfoil Silver Bags

We saw tinfoil style fabrics used all over the runways, both in dresses and in the spring 2019 bag trends. Silver bags are an excellent choice if you’re not enamored with all the boho bags, and if you’d like to embrace something that’s a little glamorous and retro-futuristic.

There was quite a bit of futuristic silver on the Proenza Schouler runway, including an oversized crushed silver bag. At Area, we saw an adorable, round coin purse with a small, handle, looking like the coins it is meant to hold. Off-White combined 2019 bag trends, with a large tinfoil fanny pack wrapped around one of the models’ waists.

#3. Compartmentalizing

We usually expect compartments to be hidden inside the bag, but the spring 2019 handbag trends gave us the ostentatious decision to have highly visible compartments, primarily by making them external. We have to admit they looked pretty cool, but these spring 2019 bags are better to avoid if you spend your time in places where pickpocketing is a risk.

Fendi gave us a typical leather handbag in white, with outside compartments for coins, cellphone, and whatever else you might have in mind made of orange croc skin. Coach 1941 continued a theme of classy leather bags, with a small shoulder bag with a zipper opening on top, and coin purse-like compartments along the side complete with a snap clasp. A black drawer set bag at Gabriela Hearst was the most avant-garde and the likeliest to elicit a response.

#4. Lanyards

The cult of travel has been all over the runways this season, with lanyards being one of the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends to represent it. Hanging around the neck, these small bags are perfect for carrying your passport, airplane ticket, and a bit of a foreign currency on those budget flights that won’t allow you to bring on a handbag.

Gabriela Hearst gave us a square, double-strapped number made of blue snakeskin, while at Erdem, we as saw a little bag that was more like a coin-purse. Burberry went full-on lanyard with two little passport and card holders strung on a cord.

#5. Looped Single-Handle Bags

If you don’t have the intention of rifling through your bag too many times throughout the day then you might like the looped single-handle that showed up as one of the spring 2019 handbag trends.

This type of handle often cinches the bag at the top, giving a pointy end to the bag, as we saw on the runways of Dion Lee and Adeam. At Marc Jacobs, the looped handle capped off a little circular bag.

#6. Miniature Duffle Bags

A duffle bag made with clasps and leather is a romantic bag for spring 2019 – you can just imagine stuffing all of your earthly belongings into it and rushing off on an adventure; only the devil knows when you will return. Miniature duffle bags might not serve this purpose, but they can interject your day-to-day life with that romance.

At Coach 1941, we saw a delicate white duffle decorated with a floral pattern. Calvin Klein gave us the opposite – a black leather duffle bag with a thick chain handle. We also saw a sturdy miniature duffle on the runway of Versace.

#7. Tiny Clear Plastic Bags

A clear plastic bag is perfect for carrying your phone and a bit of change during a day when you might get splashed with some water. We saw lots of tiny, see-through bags as part of the spring/ spring 2019 handbag trends.

An over-the-shoulder plastic bag with some tan leather details showed up on the Sally Lapointe runway. Clear plastic was part of the theme in Mary Katrantzou’s collection, so a little plastic clutch stuffed with all kinds of colorful shiny objects fit in perfectly. Christian Cowan combined trends by dressing a model in a clear plastic belt with a little bag attached to it.

#8. Large Plastic Bags

A see-through plastic bag is also a great choice for the beach or pool, and boy, did we see a lot of different beach bag ideas show up in the summer 2019 bag trends.

The clear bags we saw ranged from the ultra-casual looking options at Marine Serre to the more handbag-like options made of colorfully tinted see-through plastic at Moschino and Versace.

#9. Neon Bags

While a bohemian, summery feel meant that the reigning colors of the spring/ summer 2019 handbags were just various shades of tan, there were some neon options as well.

At Dries Van Noten, we saw neon bags in all kinds of shapes and designs, especially in shades of yellow and green. These included a more traditional looking snakeskin clutch, as well as bright bags made of layered plasticy panels.

At Calvin Klein, sideway bags of neon green or loud orange crocodile skin were hard to miss. In comparison, neon green bags at Prada and Emporio Armani seemed almost mundane.

#10. Printed Tote Bags

Seeing as they are the go-to sustainable option for grocery shopping, tote bags are generally not a glamorous option. Because of that, covering them in fun prints is a natural choice that doesn’t take anything away from their functionality. These printed spring 2019 bags were especially expected, given how print-heavy this season was.

One of the main prints of spring/ summer 2019 was polka dots, which showed up in white on a brown tote bag at Rejina Pyo. It was all about extreme matching at Alexa Chung where a white tote bag covered in a black floral pattern went with an equally black and white floral outfit. Floral prints also showed up on tote bags at Self-Portrait.

#11. Crochet

This is yet another example of the spring 2019 handbag trends echoing overarching runway trends. Crochet was a big hit this season, pairing well with an overall boho, summery vibe. Crocheted bags came primarily in the form of hobo, tote, and cinch bags, i.e. more casual bags perfect for a day on the beach or some casual shopping.

To break the mould, the crochet technique was used on the Alberta Ferretti runway to make a large, pink backpack. On the smaller side of things we saw tiny crochet handbags at Alice + Olivia, while Monse and Maryam Nassir Zadeh gave us larger options. Even at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld played around with crocheting tweed for a more sporty-looking bag.

#12. Box Handbags

The box handbag represents youth and nostalgia by being the updated, adult version of a lunchbox. Enjoy the fond memories of your lovingly packed school lunch with a bag in a unique shape, with one of the spring 2019 handbag trends that are guaranteed to always elicit a reaction. With both larger and smaller takes on box bags, with some more outrageous and others simply a twist on a classic leather bag design, you are sure to find a style of box handbag that will suit you.

On the classier side of things we have leather box bags from Roksanda, small in size, clean in design, and complete with an easy-to-use, envelope-style opening. Chanel bags are not known for being understated, so their lunchbox-style bag, while not over the top, was still classic Chanel. We also saw box bags on the runways of Rejina Pyo and Oscar de la Renta.

#13. Trunk Bags

Another one of the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends that represent both nostalgia and the yearning to travel is the trunk bag – a large and solid rectangular bag with suitcase-like clasps.

Louis Vuitton and Versace both opted to showcase trunk-like bags on their runways. The former was quite square-shaped and covered in the iconic Louis Vuitton print in different shades of brown or in bright colors. Versace gave us a medium-sized bag in black, covered in a cheery floral print.

#14. Micro Bags

I don’t know what the micro bags are good for, but I do know that they were darn ubiquitous in the spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends. If you’re looking for a tiny bag that cannot hold more than a few coins and, if you’re lucky, a chapstick, then give these a try. They do work nicely as a playful attachment to a larger bag.

A little bag held by one of the models at Brandon Maxwell looked almost like a keychain, made of metal and printed with the brand’s B logo. Jil Sander bypassed the issue of not having enough space by having models carry multiple micro bags in different styles, including tiny drawstring and envelope bags. Small drawstring bags for spring 2019 also showed up on the Valentino runway.

#15. Unique New Shapes

The classic bag shapes will never go out of styles, but designers always try to break from tradition and create bags in new and unique geometric shapes. The spring 2019 bags were no different, with some truly outrageous as well as genuinely sleek new shapes showing up.

At Marni, it was all about taking the leather or snakeskin handbag and adding odd angles, giving the geometry of the bag a totally new spin. Sophisticated use of geometry was on display at the Christopher Kane runway, with a shiny little clutch folded and embellished to look like a diamond.

The brand new shape that showed up for the spring 2019 bags on the Alexander McQueen runway was a sort of box that tapered off at the top, to end in a smaller opening. These bags had the usual McQueen punk sensibility, with chain straps and lots of edge.

Multiple summer 2019 bags at Balenciaga showcased an attempt to introduce the one new shape to bags – a sort of aerodynamic design with front face side of the handbag shorter, and the other longer. It was a shape that exuded speed and movement, bringing to mind a powerful woman on the go.

#16. She Sells Sea-Shells

The spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends were marked by lots of summer-ready bags – mostly as far as functionality was concerned. The sea also gave inspiration, with a few runways showcasing seashell bags all at once.

The two largest similarities were between Chanel and Stella McCartney. From Chanel we saw a delicate little seashell purse in white. It was thematically perfect, seeing as the models walked a sand-covered beach-themed runway barefoot.

At Stelle McCartney, we saw a large golden seashell bag with a pearl clasp. Some of the crochet bags at Altuzarra were decorated with seashells, which looked lovely and beachy, but also less surprising.

#17. Whimsical Undercover Bags

We can always trust a few designers to play around with shape in a more explicit way, using bags to tell jokes. In a way, handbags are one of the places where even more serious designers can have some fun and break away with tradition, without the critiques examining them too closely. These are the designers that gave us whimsical options for the spring/ summer 2019 purse trends.

It was all about fun at Balmain, with bags shaped like medallions, and other bags coming encased in clear plastic with a handle. A bag shaped like a birdcage, with a frankly somewhat silly-looking bird inside definitely raised some squawks on the Oscar de la Renta runway.

As always, Dolce & Gabbana sent some truly outrageous bags for spring 2019 on the runway, with our favorites being a bag shaped like a soup can (to go with an outfit covered in a soup can print, of course!), a little basket of flowers, and a gorgeous bag shaped like an antique wardrobe. Gucci and Balenciaga also gave us some unique takes on what the word bag can mean.

#18. Belt Bags

This is the more stylish and serious cousin to the fanny pack. Belt bags say, I am fashionable, serious, and sophisticated, but I also need my hands free so I can get real work done.

The belt bags for spring 2019 at Burberry were truly tiny, made of simple brown leather in an envelope shape – a classy design that even more conservative dresses could appreciate. Such was also the case with belt bags at Fendi, which were comprised of a belt with a few different compartments attached – one for phone, one for cards, and even a small look for keys or perhaps for attaching a dog leash.

#19. Wristband Bags

With Apple watches becoming an increasingly common sight on people’s wrists, perhaps designers wanted to emulate this particular aesthetic, because wristbands and thigh-bands with flat compartments started making an appearance as part of the spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends.

A round little compartment on a wristband at Loewe was simple and elegant – in other words, definitely going for the minimalist watch look. The unfortunately named thigh-band bag came courtesy of Off-White, with a sporty number in neon green that was crafted with runners in mind and was naturally paired with a pair of jogging shorts in a similar neon shade.

#20. Tan Straw Bags

Few things are as summery as a crochet or woven bag made of straw – you just fill it up with a towel, your summer 2019 sunglasses, and maybe a bottle of chilled white wine and head off to the beach. These bohemian summer 2019 bags showed up in a ton of runways, both in a looser crochet form and sturdier wicket basket options.

On the runways of Loewe and Alberta Ferretti, we saw gorgeous crochet bags for spring 2019 in various tan shades, in larger sizes that were perfectly functional for family holidays. At Michael Kors and Altuzarra, woven bags were medium-sized, showing how this style can be adapted to create a day-to-day handbag.

#21. Ball-Shaped Bags

Ball-shaped bags for spring 2019 really only work as evening purses, but we’re perfectly okay with that. Their shape reminds us of things like perfume bottles or crystal balls, to the point where all you need is the design without the other markers of luxury.

At Louis Vuitton, the ball-shaped bags we saw were slightly elongated and more oval, made of a deep green crocodile skin – if you’re a prestige TV fan the similarity to the dragon eggs from Game of Thrones would have likely stood out to you. At Chanel and Marine Serre, ball-shaped summer 2019 bags were absolutely perfume-bottle like, with designs that felt a little dated.

#22. Oversized Purses

I don’t know about you, but when I get a new bag, no matter its size, it is guaranteed that within a week I will have it totally filled up. Medium-sized bags work just fine for me, but some women lead busy lives, and need a chic bag that will hold nearly everything they own in the world. That is why designers give us oversized bags, with the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends being no different.

Stelle McCartney simply gave us the larger version of a more traditional handbag, covered in her name, in a conservative shade of taupe and a chocolate brown trim.
Loewe was all about bohemian vacation chic, with an oversized straw bag perfect for slinging over the shoulder. Jacquemus gave us a similar idea, but bolder, with a massive straw handbag in a loud orange color.

#23. Fuzz and Fringe Bags

Fringe, fuzz, and tassels are some of the best ways to have fun with fashion, and with fringe making the rounds on the runways, it also showed up on the spring 2019 bags.

At Sonia Rykiel, lush tassels at the end of a crochet purse were a great way of showing how multiple summer 2019 purse trends could be combined. A bag on the Valentino runway could have just been a simple brown leather handbag, but it was covered in a fringe embellishment all over.

A luxurious bag covered in pink and blue fuzz really stood out in the more subdued, bohemian selection of bags at Loewe. At Isabel Marant, we saw a mix of trends on a bohemian style crochet bag with a thick tan fringe along the bottom.

#24. Drawstring Top

Zippers are modern, clasps are old-timey, and drawstring closings? They predate other bag closures and are the embodiment of simple, low-tech design. They bring to mind vagabonds and wanderers, so they fit perfectly into the boho-nostalgia theme running through the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends.

My favorite drawstring-top bag was from the Etro runway. This brown bag had a typical saddle shape, but with a drawstring top in modern orange leather. What really capped things off was a subtle paisley design over the leather. A closer runner up was an elegant drawstring bucket bag at Balenciaga, made of white leather that looked like cracked china.

Drawstring bags, these days, actually have more of a sporty reputation. The spring 2019 bags at both Victoria Beckham and Stella McCartney kept some of the athleticism of a drawstring bag, but used leather to give it a more elegant touch.

#25. Bucket Bags

Despite some premature announcements, it seems as though bucket bags are staying firmly in place as one of the spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends.

Uncomplicated leather bucket bags were carried by models on the Hermes runway, ensuring that accessory aficionados will not forget about this particular bag shape. At Prada, a studded bucket bag attempted to exude a bit of edge. We really loved a bucket bag at Tod’s stitched together in a collage of brown, orange, and white leather.

#26. Cinderella Glass Bags

Do you remember Cinderella’s glass shoes you so much dreamed of having in your childhood? The spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends will partially make your dream come true, since crystal-like glass bags were the new Cinderella-approved accessories on the runway. Forget the shoes and step up your plastic bag game buying into this innovative futuristic purse trend that’s going to be huge come the warm season.

To match the overall futuristic theme of the collection, Balmain unveiled a range of glass bags for spring 2019 in different styles and shapes, such as a demure see-through clutch, a super flat glass handbag with a metallic medallion confined up in the center, as well as a classic pastel-toned bag placed over a glass container that upped the ante when it comes to creativity.

#27. Precious Vintage Purses

It was every child’s dream to find herself in her grandma’s closet surrounded by all those vintage findings and start playing the dress-up game. Among the spring/ summer 2019 bag trends, you have precious vintage purses to take this game to the next level and bring back those good old days of your childhood, yet in an updated, modern way.

We absolutely fell in love with every vintage bag unveiled by Miu Miu for spring, some featuring big rhinestone clasp snaps and some delicately embellished with sparkling crystals. On the other hand, Prada kept it simple and understated bringing in a range of minimalist brown-toned vintage bags that will take any outfit to new professional heights.

#28. Multi Bags Multiple Ways

We have seen this trend for a few seasons now to name it a definite new style here to stay, but what the spring 2019 handbag trends taught us is that there are new, interesting ways of carrying multiple bags at a time. This was the innovation of Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, where we saw models carrying two cross-body bags at a time fastened to each other with a small leather piece in the center. Absolutely genius!

For those into traditions, there are also the classic ways of carrying multiple bags from Fendi and Givenchy, both of which alternated bags in different sizes with each other to create more interest.

#29. Matching Your Purse to Your Outfit

You remember the old good fashion rule that you should pick your bags according to the outfits you wear? The spring/ summer 2019 bag trends set up even stricter rules telling you to pick your purse exactly in the same print or color as the outfit you wear.

Matchy-matchy was the purse game at Moschino, Balmain, Self-Portrait, Chanel, Prada, Versace and Emporio Armani among others, all of which created lovely bags in the same color-blocked style or patterns as the clothing pieces the models were showcasing. Will you dare to blend your bag in with your outfits this spring?

#30. Fluffy Pillow Bags

Is this the comfiest bag trend for the new season? Fluffy and airy pillow-style handbags were all over the place on the runways, whether used as day-to-day tote bags or oversized envelope bags like at Maison Margiela.

This spring 2019 purse trend looked electric at Dries Van Noten, super cute and Barbie-approved at Area and more elegant at Giorgio Armani. Whichever route you take, this is the easiest and most effortless bag trend of spring and summer and so perfect for taking with you to fall.

#31. Crocodile Bags

With the animal trend riding high, it was natural to see it reflected in the spring/ summer 2019 handbag trends as well. This happened in the form of crocodile bags appearing in all the bright and bold shades, as well as go-with-everything neutrals to meet everyone’s demands.

Our favorite croc bags came from Miu Miu, while Louis Vuitton wowed with the futuristic ball-shaped bags in bright crocodile skin. Bright was also the game at Dries Van Noten and Calvin Klein, where we saw neon yellow and orange crocodile skin numbers.

Crocodile bags for spring 2019 were spotted on almost every runway, from Jacquemus to Coach 1941 to name just a few.